Investigating selection criteria and methods used by companies in deciding on the beneficiaries of their corporate social responsibility programmes

Abstract

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) intervention will not solve all South Africa’s socio-economic problems, nor eradicate the intensifying levels or poverty. It will also not eradicate the expanding levels of inequality. Nonetheless, the means by which the CSR intervention has displayed itself over the years towards society has and will continue to improve the lives of countless individuals and has further brought hope into the lives of those who were without and whose future was in a state of gloom. The affirmative contribution made by companies practising CSR to humanity is considerable. The contents of this research study enclosed in this document, investigated how companies practising CSR roll out their CSR programmes from the respective decision-making perspectives to the implementation phase. It investigated the strategies that companies employ in selecting their lists of beneficiaries and the decision-making models companies employ in choosing who should be on their list of beneficiaries. The practice of CSR has for a notable amount of time been linked with the sustainable development phenomenon. The sustainable development phenomenon was crafted as a reaction and panacea to initiatives set by companies that are set to benefit business without considering the future generations. This research study further explored whether companies practising CSR consider sustainable development in their CSR initiatives. The empirical evidence of this research has revealed that companies spend millions of Rands towards CSR programmes. These investments, however, generally do not consider sustainability where the current and future generations are both set to benefit. The general findings of this research indicate a need for companies to be innovative and to have long-term thinking in the implementation of their CSR programmes.